"Race Walking is a progression of steps so
taken that the walker makes contact with the ground, so that no visible (to the
human eye) loss of contact occurs.The advancing leg shall be straightened (i.e.
not bent at the knee) from the moment of first contact with the ground until
the vertical upright position."

If this sounds complicated, just think of the old
phrase ‘heel and toe walking’.Land on your heel (not a judging requirement but
good practice) and turn up the toe; you will find your leading leg is straight

Race walking is the
activity or competitive sport of walking at a very fast pace.

‘the
two main muscle groups used while race walking are the abdominal and glute
muscles’

Race walking is
an event contested in all levels of the sport of track & field, from youth
athletics up to and including the Olympic Games. Race walking combines the endurance of the long distance runner with
the attention to technique of a hurdler or shot putter. Producing less
impact, this technically demanding event continues to grow in popularity across
the younger and older age groups for its fitness and competitive aspects.

Race walking differs from running in that it requires
the competitor to maintain contact with the ground at all times and requires
the leading leg to be straightened as the foot makes contact with the ground.
It must remain straightened until the leg passes under the body. Judges
evaluate the technique of race walkers and report fouls which may lead to
disqualification. All judging is done by the eye of the judge and no outside
technology is used in making judging decisions.